Diana 1, Dan 0

We all deserve a mulligan here and there, so I'd like to retract a statement I've made.

Not too many people know about this statement, except, of course, for every member of the sports department here at the Advance.

It was less than a year ago.

I, being the proud owner of a 2.7 career points-per-game average over four seasons at Division III College of Staten Island (that indeed may be a generous number), said I thought I could beat Diana Taurasi in a game of one-on-one.

Yes, in a game of basketball. A washed-up, out-of-shape me against a professional athlete.

Yes, I'm sorry to say, I was very chauvinistic.

Funny how that statement, in front of only two employees of the sports department, made its way around to the entire staff so fast.

In fairness, I conceded that I would have to set the rules. We couldn't play full-court, because I would get smoked, because I can't run (after CSI, I ate a lot in graduate school, roughly seven times a day).

We would have to play with a men's ball, because I can't shoot that tiny, rinky-dink women's ball. And, it would be winner's outs (I'm not playing defense after I score).

Also, in fairness to me (we'll get to fairness to her in a minute), I didn't say I'd blow her out. I figured, in a game to 21, I'd win by a few.

I figured, at 6-5, 255 pounds, with an array of McHale-esque post moves (that may be an exaggeration), I'd just be too big and too-much body mass for her to stop me in the post.

But I also figured she was the size of my wife.

Then, I met her on Sunday afternoon after the Phoenix Mercury lost 83-82 to the Liberty. I was there doing a story on three-time Jaques winner Jen Derevjanik, a reserve point guard for Phoenix.

After sitting in press row at the Garden, I'd like to recant.

Taurasi is -- well there's no other way to put it -- huge. She's a legit 6-1 with bigger biceps than mine (not really a compliment). And her arms are long. She could scratch her knee without bending over.

And she's quick. Quick enough to go by anyone she wants at any time she wants.

And she can flat-out shoot. And she blew by plenty of Liberty players that were plenty bigger than me, including 6-foot-5 Jessica Davenport, who could beat me in a foot race and Cathrine Kraayeveld, who is listed at 6-5, but I would have sworn was about 6-10 in person. And Taurasi guarded them too, blocking about four shots.

Our own Kevin Flood said it best when he heard about my claim.

"Not only would I not take you to beat Taurasi in a basketball game," he said to me. "I wouldn't take you over her in a dark alley. She'd come away with your wallet."

Alas, I now agree.

So what led me to believe that I could beat Ms. Taurasi? Television, I guess. I watched a few WNBA games on television over the past few years, especially when Derevjanik was playing.

Now, every columnist I've seen has taken one of two stances on the WNBA -- they cream it for being boring with no dunks or they laud it for being "pure" basketball.

I'm here to tell you that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Watching on television, I find myself flipping the channel back and forth. In person, the game on Sunday was much more enjoyable -- and much more physical -- than I had anticipated.

Maybe it's because I had great seats. Maybe it's because I was getting paid to be attentive. Maybe it's because it was two of the better teams in the league (the Liberty are now 5-0, while Phoenix was 4-2 before Sunday, now 4-4).

But the one thing that is true is that Sunday's game was watchable. Just a well-played game of basketball, for either gender.

And Derevjanik, in limited action, played great. In only nine minutes, she made some great point-guard decisions.

Taurasi said so afterward and coach Paul Westhead said so afterward. The way Derevjanik's playing, not only should she get more playing time, but I wouldn't want to play her one-on-one either, and she's only 5-foot-10.